News reports are saying the polar vortex hitting much of the United States this week is bringing temperatures that are the coldest in a generation. Which means our kids have the potential to be the most stir-crazy in a generation. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.

This also isn’t one of those times when we should say, “Eh, what’s a little cold/snow? Send ‘em outside!” In some parts of the country, people are being told not to leave their homes. At all. For any reason. Even for a minute.

And yet, your kids still have the same amount of energy they had yesterday, don’t they? By now, I’m sure you’ve played all the board games you can handle, crumbs of Play-Doh are littered across your dining room floor and you’ve done science experiments and crafts. Maybe you even baked cookies or put them to work with dinner prep.

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In case you’ve run out of ideas for what on Earth to do next, I polled our Offspring Parenting Facebook Group for their (non-screen) suggestions. Those folks can be pretty creative.

Make a Stop Motion Animation Video with LEGOs

This first suggestion, from group member Peter, admittedly does incorporate screens, but like he says, “not the toxic addictive version.” He and his kid spent a whole afternoon making a stop motion animation video of a LEGO scene they built. He used this Stop Motion Studio app: “The free version was enough.”

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Here’s the video they made, which I showed my son, whose reaction was, “Yeah, we need to do that.” (My favorite part is the random snowman who runs around the house for no apparent reason.)

Create an indoor obstacle course

This struck me as a good idea because there are endless combinations to dream up; setting it up really is part of the activity and, therefore, kills additional time.

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The parent who suggested this randomly prefers hula hoops, Amazon boxes and egg cartons, but the only limitation here is your imagination (well, and safety).

Go camping (inside)

Do not go camping outside. There’s a polar vortex out there, guys! Instead, set a tent up in the living room. Add sleeping bags, blankets, flashlights and a sound machine with cricket-chirping noises for extra effect.

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Bonus points if you have the supplies on hand to make s’mores.

When all else fails, chase them

Chasing each other was a surprisingly popular suggestion in the group. It took me back to the time when I’d spend 15-20 minutes a day chasing my preschooler (and/or being chased) through the house. He’d get a sudden, wild burst of energy around 5 p.m. every evening and a little chasing drove it out of him and got him worn out enough to sit and watch a show while I started to make dinner.